Stupid rule... I think....

(FIRST POST W3WTZ!)

I just started my guard army and was looking through the codex I saw the demo charges and was very impressed (ordnance weapons on infantry! ZOMGZ!) then i came to rule where it said - once you used the Demo charge you must replace it with another guard unit armed with a lasgun or if none is available take the unit of the board .... -

I thought about it for a while and came to the conclusion that it was for WYSIWYG purposes and was meant get rid of confusion, since the guardsmen used the demo charge it's gone..... I left it that. Then i got to the rough rider entry in the book and noticed they had one a time use item also, hunting lances...... Gamesworkshop is usaully pretty consitant in there rules from my expeirences with them so i was just wondering what's up with this?

I realize that one guardsmen isn't anything to lose sleep over, but, if you think about it, that can be a ***** for morale purposes (special weapon squads olny have 6 guys)

I was just wondering if anyone could shed some light onto to this or tell me if I read something wrong

A) By the time you chuck the demo charge, you can bank on the fact that you will have suffered at least one casualty somewhere in the rest of your army. You can replace the demo trooper with that casualty (in fact, the demo charge may be what causes said casualty).

In a friendly game, you should feel free to ignore this rule. It's really just a reminder that the charge has been thrown, so that you won't try to throw it again.

well i wouldn't worry too much about that special weapons squad with the demo charge, there's always a chance it'll scatter back on you and you won't have to replace that dead model; that squad is most likely dead next turn anyways; and anyways yeah it's just one model and it'll be turn two at the earliest (deep striking them, or doing the more hazardous footslog) that you use him so you should have an extra available model to replace him.

i think you're main point you were getting at must be the rough riders though and wondering if you have to replace all your models with those of rough riders without hunting lances when you've used them up... i'd say no, two reasons

first, it'd be a damn lot of models you'd have to replace (especially if like me, you took 2 full squads of 10)

second, if you look more closer between the demo charge entry and the rough rider entry; only the demo charge entry says that you are to replace the model, while the rough rider entries just say the lance is used up and can't be used again (but doesn't have to be replaced by a representable model). i think GW even caught onto how much a pain that would be.

now, the thing to do, as i do anyways, would be to denote what models in the squad have lances left to use after the initial charge (or any follow-up pile in rounds of combat; as remember even without the charge and the bonuses, a model's first attack must be used with the lance) by just placing a die on their base or next to the model.

About the lances thing, i'm all into funny little additions to indicate whats happening to your otherwise static guys, so why not have removable lance tips? That way it looks like the charge has gone off leaving your model with just his horse and various knives to try and defend himself. You could do the same with demo guys, have the charge strapped to his back or have a replacement hand ready.

On a side note, mini tombstones make good wound markers and if you have your hvy wpns teams glued onto 60mm bases, halos are suprisingly easy to make...